Once in a Blue Moon

You're in for a spook-tacular sight this Halloween if the skies are clear! On Halloween night, just after 6 pm, the SECOND full moon of the month will emerge from the horizon. Aside from having a full moon on the spookiest night of the year, there are even more factors that make this moon special.

The full moon on Halloween is considered a blue moon. The most widely used definition of a blue moon is when two full moons occur in the one calendar month. Saturday's full moon is the only blue moon in 2020. Blue moons are pretty rare, which is why you'll hear people use the term "once in a blue moon" to describe things that don't happen very often. The next one won't occur until August 2021! (The lesser known definition of a blue moon is the third of four full moons in one season.)

October's second full moon is not only referred to as blue moon; like all other full moons, it has a name. This moon is known as the full Hunter's Moon. The names for the full moons come from Native Americans. The Hunter's Moon occurs during the time of the year when both humans and animals need to gather food in preparation for the coming winter. So, if you really want to impress people, you can tell them to look for the "Full Hunter's Blue Moon on Halloween."

But just how rare is a full moon on Halloween? According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, a full moon occurring on Halloween only happens every 18 to 19 years! So, make sure you take some time to soak in the moonlight from this year's very special moon. And don't forget to look out for werewolves!